Signaling system



May 5, 1925.

L. M. POTTS SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed Sept. '7, 1922 gwmw Mvenfor: Lou/l9 P7. P0273:

Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES "PA-TENT OFFICE.

LOUIS I. IOT'IS, OF HIGEWOOD, NEW

JERsEY, assmnoa TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

, Application filed September 7, i922. Serial in. 586,618.

To' all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS M. Form, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highwood, in the county of Bergen. btate of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact. description.

This invention relates to signaling systems and particularly to control apparatus for such systems.

In certain types of telegraph systems, it

is desirable to employ a sensitive relay, which will produce and maintain a certain condition in response to a signal of one polarity and will produceand maintain a different condition in response to a signal of the op osite polarity. 7

An 0 ject of this invention is to provide means which may be used for the above and similar purposes.

Another object of the invention is to cause an electron discharge device in which "the space current is controlled by a magnetic field, or the like. to function to maintain the output circuit of the tube in a predetermined condition until a subsequent change in the magnetic field.

In accordance with the above and other objects, the invention provides an evacuated vessel containing an anode and an electronemitting cathode with means for generating a magnetic field to control the current fiowing between such electrodes, and an additional means for producing a magnetic field sufiicient to maintain the output current established by the other magnetic field genera-ting means when the current therein is reduced substantially to zero.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing is shown a vacuum tube, consisting of an elongated glass vessel 4, containing a thermionic cathode 5 which, as in other forms of vacuum tubes, is adapted to be heated to incandescenceby current supplied by a. battery 6, and a cylindrical anode 7, which surrounds the cathode substantially the length thereof. Space current is supplied to the tube by a battery 8 connected between the cathode and anode.

Surrounding the vessel 4 is a magnetic coil 9 supplied with current from a battery 10 an producing a magnetic field parallel to the cathode and of suflicient strength normally to prevent the flow of electrons between the cathode and anode. A second coil 11, in series with the battery 8 and the anode, also surrounds the tube. When space current is flowing a magnetic field is produced by 0011 11, which opposes and nullifies that produced by coil 9 and thus permits space current to continue flowing.

A third coil 12, surrounding the tube is connected to a line 13, or other source of signals. The coil 13 carries current in either direct on, depending on the polarity of the incoming signals and thus produces a field which may aid the field produced either by the coil 9 or by the coil 11.

Included in the output circuit between the battery 8 and coil 11 is a relay 14. This relay responds to changes in output current for controlling the application of negative and positive impulses This-conductor 15 may extend either to a local recording set or to a distant station in which event the apparatus just described would serve as repeating means for repeating signals from the line conductors 13 to line conductor 15.

hen an impulse is impressed on magnetic coil 12 from the line conductors 13, a magnetic field is generated in a direction such as to oppose the magnetic effect of the field produced by coil 9, whereby current is caused to flow in the output circuit andcontinue to flow irrespective of the fact that an impulse is no'longer impressed on the coil 12. The relay 14 is energized and a ne ative impulse applied to line 15. Likewise,

to a line conductor 15.

if an impulse of the reverse polarity is impressed on the coil 12, the magnetic field generated by coil 11 is strengthened and the output circuit is opened and maintained open that is, no current flows in the output circuit. For such operation, relay 14 will be caused to release and close its contacts for impressing on conductor 15 an impulse of positive polarity and such impulse will continue until a subsequent change in the character of the impulse impressed on the'magnetic coil 12.

In a modification in Fig. 2, three vacuum tubes 20, 21 and 22, each comprising an elongated glass vesseh'a heated cathode and a cylindrical anode, together with means for generating a magnetic field to control the current flowing between the cathode and anode electrodes, are shown. In this figure, like parts are represented by like reference characters with the prime and double prime indices added.

Each of the vacuum tubes 20, 21, and 22 is provided with a pair of windings 26 and 27, the former bein the equivalent of the magnetic coil 11, escribed in connection with Fig. 1, while the latter functions in a manner similar to coil 9, also described in connection with Fig. 1. Magnetic coils 26, 26' and 26 are serially connected with a battery 33 and the anode 25 of tube 20. Coils 27, 27 and 27 are connected in a local circuit with a battery 34, which supplies current to these windings of a strength sufficient to maintain the output circuits of these tubes in a condition predetermined by the character of the impu addition to the windings just described, vacuum tube 20 is providedwith an additonal winding 28. This winding 28 has its terminals connected with a pair of line conductors 30 over which impulses are adapted to be' transmitted.

Associated with the output circuit of vacuum tubes 21 and 22 is a polarized relay 31, which is arranged to impress on a line conductor 32 positive and negative impulses in accordance with the operation of the tube arrangement just described. Q

Under normal conditions, the current in windings 27 and 27 of tubes 20 and 21, respectively, is of suflicient strength to maintain the output circuits of these tubes open, while the current through winding 2 on tube 22 is not of a strength sufficient to hold the output circuit of tube 22 open. If an impulse is impressed on the conductors 30, suchi impulse will pass through windin 28 in a direction to oppose the eifect of win ing 27. The output circuit of tube'20 will be closed thereupon and current will flow throu h windings 26, 26', and 26". The current owing in winding 26 produces a magnetic effect opposite to the effect produced by winding 27, which will hold the output circuit of this tube closed even thoughcurrent is no longer flowing throu h winding 28. Accordingly, current flows tfirough winding 26' in a direction such that a magnetic field is set up to oppose the effect of the field produced by winding 27 The output circuit of tube 21 with which these windings are associated, will be closed and maintained closed, while the eiiect of the magnetic field produced by winding 27 of tube 22 is in a direction such as to aid the magnetic efi'ect produced by winding 26 thereby opening and maintaining the output circuit in this tube open for the condition described. The output circuit of tube 21 ,being closed for the condition described, a circuit is completed so received. In

corresponding to the impulse received on the winding 28 of tube 20.

Likewise, when an impulse of the oppo- I site polarity is received on the tube 28, the output circuit of tube 21 is opened while that of tube 22 is closed, thereby completing a circuit for the other winding of polarized relay 31. The armature of polarized relay 31 for such a condition is thereby caused to reverse its position.

The invention has been disclosed as applied to a particular circuit, but variations from the present showing may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is: I 1. In combination, an elongated glass vessel, a cathode and an anode contained in said vessel, an output circuit, a magnetic coil associated with said electrodes for controlling the flow1 of current between said electro es, at second magnetic coil for generating a magnetic field for controlling the eifectivuiessof the field produced by said other magnetic coil, and means operatively associate-l with said electrodes and said coils for .naintaining said output circuit in one of the conditions following the energization of :aid first magnetic coil, depending on the wharacter of such energization.

2. In combination, a signaling path, an electron dis 'harge device operatively associated with :aid signaling path, comprising avessel containing a cathode and an anode,

a magnetic coil surrounding said vessel, a local circuit containing said magnetic coil including a so irce of current to cause said coil to generata magnetic field sufiicient to control the flow of electrons between said electrodes, :1 second magnetic coil associated with said. signaling ath for controlling the efi'ectiveness of said other magnetic coil, and a third magnetic coil included in a local circuit and operatively associated with said cathode and anode for producing an effect to oppose said first mentioned magnetic coil.

3. In combination, a signaling path, an electron discharge device operatively associated with said signaling path, said' device containing a cathode an anode, an output circuit, a magnetic coil surrounding said vessel, a local circuit containing said magnetic coil including a source of current to cause said coil to generate a magnetic field sufiicient to control the flow of electrons between said electrodes, a second magnetic coil associated with said signaling path for controlling the efiectiveness of sa1d other magnetic coil, and a third magnetic coil included in the output circuit for producing an effect to oppose the effect of said first mentioned magnetic coil only when space current is flowing.

4. In combination, a signaling path, an electron discharge device associated with said signaling path comprising an evacuated vessel containing a cathode and a cylindrical anode, a lurality of magnetic coils surroundin sai vessel, circuit connections for control ing the operation of said coils to control the space current flowing between the cathode and anode, and a 'air of magnetically controlled electron ischarge devices included in the output circuit of said device, and means controlled by said pair of electron discharge devices 'for relaying signaling impulses in accordance with the signals received from said signalin path.

5. In combination, a'signaling pat electron discharge device associated with said signaling path comprising an evacuated vessel containing a cathode and a cylindrical anode, a glurality of magnetic coils surrounding sai vessel, circuit connections for controllmg the operation of said coils to control the space current flowing between the cathode and anode, and a air of magnetically controlled electron discharge devices included in the output circuit of said first device, and means for maintaining said pair of devices operated in accordance with the previous operation of said first recited device until the electrical condition of said device has been altered.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 31st day of August A. D.,

, LOUIS M. POTTS. 

